Icarus
by isis-sg1
Summary: During a murder investigation Tony bonds with an angry homeless kid that gets him into a little trouble
1. Chapter 1

-1The NCIS van pulled up to the house and parked. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs yanked open the door and stepped out from the driver's side before slamming it behind him. He adjusted his NCIS cap as he waited for his team to join him. Out of the passenger door Special Agent Tony DiNozzo and Officer Ziva David appeared. Both of them looked very pale and sickly, a physical remnant of their nausea-inducing journey to the crime scene. Tony, after regaining his composure, strode round to the back of the van and pulled open the back door. The youngest agent, Special Agent Tim McGee, fell out and landed ungracefully on the concrete in a boneless heap. Tony laughed at his co-worker's fall as he reached into the van and pulled out the kit. He handed some of the kit to Ziva before diving back in for the rest of the gear. Once McGee pulled himself up from the ground and dusted himself off, the trio joined their fearless leader.

The local sheriff noticed their arrival. He chewed casually on a piece of gum and dug his hands deep into his pockets and he marched over to the group. Gibbs held up his ID for the sheriff to see.

"What in the hell is NCIS?" The sheriff asked grouchily.

"Navy Criminal Investigative Service," Gibbs answered, uninterested by the man's attitude. He'd dealt with worse, hell, he_ was_ worse. "That house belongs to Marine Sergeant Rick Yates"

"So?"

"It means this crime scene is in our jurisdiction Sheriff. If your people could please vacate it as soon as possible, that would be great."

"Hey! I'm not goin' to just hand this over to you bunch of suits!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter," Gibbs said and turned to address his team "DiNozzo, start processing the scene, Ziva, you take the witness and McGee…"

"Yes, boss?"

"Find out what's taking Ducky," Gibbs said. McGee nodded and quickly pulled out his cell phone.

Ziva rolled her eyes at her assignment but carried it out without complaint. She handed her equipment over to Tony who then, struggling to carry everything, made his way into the house.

He placed the cases down on the carpet then pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the living room for anything suspicious. He pulled out a torch and searched the floor first. The shiny wooden floor was spotless, no footprints or blood spatter that could lead them to the murderer. The living room was equally spotless but being that the house belonged to a marine Tony wasn't surprised. Nothing was out of place and Tony could easily assume the murderer didn't even set a foot inside.

Tony then proceeded to move down the hallway and into the main bedroom. The victim, Rick Yates, was lying haphazardly over the bed and the rest of the room looked like a tornado had blown through it. Pieces of furniture was smashed and books and clothes were scattered across the bloodied carpet. Yates was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt; both were stained in blood. The marine's head was bashed in and, by the looks of it, Rick Yates had been bludgeoned to death. But Tony couldn't be positive until Ducky did the autopsy. He heard Gibbs enter the room behind him and he spun to greet him.

"What are you thinking DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, knowing that in the short time Tony had had to look over the crime scene he'd already come to some conclusions.

"That more than one person did this. There's no way could one person could over-power a marine this size," Tony said, gesturing to the man built like a quarterback. Gibbs nodded.

"There's no sign of a break in."

"He probably _let_ them in," Tony guessed.

"You think he knew his attackers?" Gibbs asked. Tony opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the appearance of Ducky and his young apprentice, Jimmy Palmer.

"Sorry Jethro, young Palmer here could never make it as a cartographer," Ducky said, patting Jimmy on the shoulder. "I had a friend who was a cartographer, always getting himself lost, I remember one time-"

"Good thing Palmer's an ME's assistant then, Duck." Gibbs interrupted before Ducky could go any further,

"Quite," Ducky said with a smile. He put his medical bag down by his feet and knelt by the body. "Well, what do we have here?"

"Marine Sergeant Rick Yates. Neighbour found him like this when the front door was left open," Gibbs replied.

Ducky reached into his bag and pulled out a liver probe. He lifted the victim's shirt and plunged the thermometer into the body. After a few seconds he pulled it back out and examined the result.

"Estimated TOD?"

"I'd say around eleven o'clock last night, give or take an hour," Ducky answered while handing off the probe to Jimmy.

"What else can you tell us about him, Duck?" Gibbs asked, staring at the body critically.

"He's dead," Ducky replied wittily, but Gibbs merely frowned sourly, obviously un-amused by the doctor's attempt at humor. "I've only just met the man, Jethro! Give me a chance to examine him properly!"

Gibbs smiled but said nothing. He handed Tony the camera. "I'll sketch, you shoot," He ordered.

"Yes, Boss," Tony answered obediently. He snapped photos of the body from every angle before taking photos of the bed covers and the broken lamp that lay on the carpeted floor. Meanwhile, Gibbs stood with his back to the wardrobe, carefully sketching the scene and taking laser measurements of the room. Suddenly, Gibbs froze, and the subtle movement caught Tony's attention.

"What is it?" Tony asked.

Gibbs turned around and motioned to the cupboard. He pulled his gun from his belt and held it up ready for anything, knowing Tony had done the same thing and was ready to back him up. Gibbs reached for the handle and opened it, wincing as it creaked loudly. Fortunately, there was nothing suspicious in the wardrobe, just a mess of clothes squashed together on a single rail. Gibbs relaxed and holstered his gun.

As Gibbs turned back, a figure suddenly leapt from behind the clothes and pushed into Gibbs as hard as he could, sending Gibbs crashing to the floor. Commotion erupted in the room and the figure took that as an opportunity to escape; however, he did not realize he was being followed. As soon as Gibbs had fallen down, Tony had snapped into action. He followed the assailant down the hallways throughout the house and out of the front door.

Tony was quick, but the crook was quicker. Tony chased the figure down the road and watched him as he turned left and darted down a street. Tony followed in pursuit and just managed to spot the figure as he hopped over a fence. Tony cursed and sprinted forward; grabbing the top of the fence and vaulting over it like a professional high jumper. He landed in someone's garden and immediately scanned the area. He caught sight of him at the other end of the garden just as he slipped through a gate. He narrowed his eyes, the guy couldn't be any more than a teenager. Tony raced across the grass, leaping over children's toys and manoeuvring around plants, and followed the kid through the gate and into a field. The boy was running straight through some long grass and he hadn't slowed down one bit, but Tony was starting to tire.

"Stop!" Tony shouted, but it had no effect. Tony sighed and carried on with the chase.

The boy was already three quarters of the way across the field. By the time Tony had managed to cross the expanse, the boy had already jumped over another fence. Tony followed him over and landed onto cement. He slowed down and pulled out his gun again. He held it out in front of him and scanned the area. Whoever that boy was, he was long gone now. Tony sighed in resignation and headed back to the house.

Once back inside, Tony found Ziva and McGee photographing and sketching the scene while Ducky examined Gibbs' head.

"Anything?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shook his head. "Fast bastard," He replied. "I noticed he wasn't wearing gloves though."

"Check the wardrobe for prints. I want to know who that guy was and what he was doing in our dead marine's cupboard."

"Yes, boss," Tony replied. He gave Gibbs a sloppy salute before joining Ziva and McGee in the bedroom.

"Who hides in the cupboard after committing a crime?" Gibbs said.

"Maybe one who didn't commit a crime," Ducky answered. "Your head looks fine, Jethro. Just take a couple of aspirin if you start to get a headache."

"Yeah, yeah, Duck. I know the drill." Gibbs waved Ducky away. "Get the body back to autopsy Ducky, I want to know everything about Marine Sergeant Rick Yates"

"Certainly," Ducky turned to Palmer. "Ready to transport?" Palmer nodded. "Good." Ducky followed Palmer as he pushed the gurney out of the house and into the back of the ME's van.

"Gibbs!" Tony called to his boss. Gibbs appeared in seconds and crouched down next to Tony.

"What have you got?"

"Some partials and some smudges but I did find a couple of good prints," Tony replied, indicating towards some indentions in fine white powder.

"Get them to Abby," Gibbs ordered. "You two finished?" He asked Ziva and McGee. The pair nodded. "Good, grab everything and get it back to the truck. I want those prints ran as soon as we get back _and_ I want everything on Rick Yates, Ziva, I want to know what he had for breakfast, how many hours he spent in the gym, what brand of toothpaste he uses, every scraped knee, every parking ticket, every contact in his phone book—"

"Yeah, yeah, I got the idea," Ziva said, stopping Gibbs from going any further. Gibbs left the room, leaving the trio to pick up all the equipment and carry it back to the truck. McGee gulped in fear as he stepped into the back of the truck. Being the youngest agent meant he always ended up with the seat in the back without a seatbelt and when Gibbs was driving, you _needed_ a seatbelt.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! keep 'em coming :)

Forgot to mention in the first chapter that although i wrote this story - the story idea belongs to Cole Taylor

(sorry this chapter is short - i promise there are longer chapters to come :))

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Gibbs rounded the corner in the Squad room and sat down at his desk, "DiNozzo," he said, giving Tony an invitation to speak, one he couldn't decline.

"Abby managed to get a hit of one of the partials," He informed, "Ran it through AFIS and got a hit," Tony stood up pressed a button on his clicker to bring up a police record on the screen, "Jake Milos, fifteen,"

"Fifteen?" Gibbs repeated as he joined Tony by the screen. He crossed his arms.

Tony nodded, "Parents died three years ago in a car accident, by the time social servies arrived at the hospital the boy was gone. It seems running is an old habit," He added with a smirk. It quickly dissapeared from a trademark Gibbs glare. He swallowed before continuing, "He's had a couple of run ins with the police, petty thieving, tresspassing, nothing serious. He's always got off with a warning and always managed to evade capture by social services."

"Evade capture?" McGee asked as he raised an eyebrow. Tony shrugged.

"What about Marine sergeant Rick Yates?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva stood up and took the clicker from Tony without asking, she clicked the button and pulled up Rick Yates' service record, "Based at Quantico-"

"Doing what?" Gibbs interupted.

"Works at the MSG headquarters, assigning and transfering Marine Security Gaurds to post around the world."

"Not exactly a reason for killing him," McGee considered.

"Unless a couple of Marines weren't too happy with their placements Probie," Tony argued.

"What about out of work?" Gibbs asked.

"Played a little basketball at a nearby park with some friends, liked to go fishing, even had a small cabin near Shenandoah National Park," McGee answered from his seat.

"Well liked?"

"No-one seems to hate him," Ziva replied with a slight shrug.

"From the neighbours I talked to it seems he helped out a lot around the neihbourhood, helped old ladies with their shopping, mowed lawns, fixed roofing. He was even known to open his door to homeless kids on occasion."

"Explains why Milos was in the house," Tony added.

"He gave them some food and a place to stay the night, even tried to help them find permanent shelter," McGee continued.

"Sounds too good," Gibbs said with a raised eyebrow.

"You think Yate's is hiding a dark side?" Tony asked.

"Nobody is that clean," Gibbs replied, motioning to the picture of Rick Yates on the screen, "Keep digging until you find something," He ordered.

"What if there isn't anything?" McGee asked. Gibbs turned to McGee and stared "Right, keep looking," McGee ducked his head and began typing furiously. Any further conversation was interupted by the shrill ring of the phone on Tony's desk.

Tony stepped back to his desk and picked up the phone, "DiNozzo," He answered. He listened a moment, "When?...okay, I'll be right there," He put the phone down and turned to the team who were all waiting expectantly, "That was DCPD, A young boy was picked up slightly intoxicated, trying to buy more alcohol from a liquor store a couple of miles from Rick Yates' house. His prints match those we found at the crime scene that i sent out with the BOLO."

"Where is he now?"

"Sitting in a holding cell downtown while he sobers up," Tony smirked.

"Take Ziva," Gibbs ordered and Tony nodded, grabbing his gun and backpack before leading Ziva towards the elevator.

Tony and Ziva entered the police station and showed their badges at the front desk.

"Special Agents DiNozzo and David," Tony greeted as he flipped the badge shut and put it back in his jacket pocket, "You called about the BOLO I put out on Jake Milos," The uniformed officer nodded silently and then picked up the phone. A minute later a familiar detective walked into the room.

"Special Agent DiNozzo," He held out his hand and Tony shook it.

"Detective Raimer," Tony replied. He'd got to know quiet a few of the detectives working in DC, "You have our suspect?" Tony asked, getting right down to buisness.

"Sure do," Raimer nodded, leading Tony and Ziva through a door and into lock up. Sitting in the far cell was Jake Milos. Tony recognised him from the chase earlier. He sat on the wooden bench with his head in his hands.

"You mind if we take him off your hands?" Tony asked even though he wouldn't be taking no for an answer.

"He's all yours DiNozzo, have enough paperwork to do without him adding to it."

"Has he said anything?" Ziva questioned.

Raimer shook his head, "Nothing polite anyway," Tony smiled. Raimer pulled out a large bunch of keys and opened the cell.

Tony stepped into the cell, "Hands behind your back Milos," Tony ordered. The young boy glared at Tony, "I do love it when they choose the hard way," Tony quipped. He lifted Jake to his feet and then pulled his hands behind his back. He pulled the cuffs from his belt and snapped them on.

"That hurts!" Jake growled.

"I'm sorry, forgot to bring my furry cuffs to work today," Toyn retorted. He pushed Jake out opf the cell and then lead him out the building. Ziva opened the car door and Tony pushed the boy inside. Tony then slammed the door and climbed into the passenger seat. Ziva frowned at the new arrangement but got into the drivers seat with no comment. Tony turned to Jake and smiled evilly, "This'll teach you for running," He said as Ziva pulled out of the car park with a screech. As Tony was flung across his seat he smiled, "Well worth it," He murmured to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the great reviews! keep them coming :)

* * *

Gibbs and Tony stood in the dark and observed the young boy from the other side of a two way mirror. The boy had placed his muddy boots on the table then slouched further into the uncomfortable chair. How he found it comfy Tony would never know. The red eyes and bags under his eyes reminded Tony that the police had found the kid drunk, Tony wondered if it was a one time thing or if he had a drinking problem. The other thing Tony noticed was the glare that was permanently fixed on the boy's face,

"That is one angry kid," Tony commented as he dug his hands into his trouser pockets. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gibbs nod in agreement, "When are you going to talk to him?" Tony asked, turning to face his boss. Tony loved watching Gibbs in the interrogation room, he supposed it was the same kick as an artist watching Picasso painting or a sportsman watching Ali box. Gibbs could get confessions out of the most hardened criminals without even breaking a sweat. Watching an interrogation was better than watching all his favourite films put together.

"I'm not," Gibbs answered, not giving away anymore.

"Why not?" Tony asked with a frown.

"You're going to talk to him," Gibbs replied, shrugging slightly as he spoke.

"Oh no," Tony shook his head vehemently, "No, no no no no, I don't do kids Boss, you know that! They hate me!"

"He isn't a kid DiNozzo, he's fifteen,"

"Hmm," A voice snorted. Gibbs and Tony's heads turned to see Ziva standing at the door with a hand on her hip. She smiled as she closed the door behind her and walked up to stand by Tony's side, "Same age as you mentally," She spoke "I'm sure you two will have lots to talk about,"

"Yeah," Tony agreed, "I'll tell him all about my time living in a mansion on Long Island with the tennis courts, swimming pool and helicopter pad and then he can describe what the doorway he lives under looks like, I'll regale stories of my life as a cop and he can respond with his adventures as a teenage thief! Yeah, me and him have loads to talk about!" Tony finished sarcastically.

"You had a helipad?" Ziva questioned, momentarily distracted. Tony gave her a looks which told her he wasn't about to discuss his childhood home with her.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs began as he turned to his senior field agent, "If I didn't think you could get through to him do you think I would be sending you in there?" He asked as he kept eye contact.

Tony sighed, "No," He answered.

"Then what the hell are you still doing in here?" Tony opened his mouth to speak but decided against it quickly. His shoulders sagged in defeat and he left the room silently. Only a second later, Gibbs and Ziva watched him enter the adjacent room. The boy didn't look up as Tony entered and Tony took a moment to study the boy before closing the door and sitting down opposite. Still the boy made no reaction to Tony's presence, his eyes focused on a distant point. Tony realised the only way to reach the boy was play at his level. He pushed the chair back with a high pitched screech, slouched back in the chair and dropped his feet on the table. The boy's eyes followed Tony's movements and Tony knew he was getting somewhere.

"Life's a bitch isn't it?" Tony asked the boy.

"What would you know?" Jake spat. Tony raised an eyebrow, glad he'd got at least a few words out of the boy already. Even though there was only mirror behind him, he could feel Gibb's eyes on the back of his neck and he didn't want to fail. He shrugged apathetically. He decided to go down a different road.

"Do you know why you're here?" He asked.

"Because you have nothing better to do," Jake retorted.

"Nope," Tony shook his head, keeping his eyes firmly on Jake's. Jake stayed silent so Tony continued. "You knocked over my boss when you hightailed it out of Rick Yates' house earlier this morning."

"So?"

"Yeah, you're right" Tony replied "He probably deserved it" Tony knew he was going to get head-slapped for that one.

Jake frowned, "What kind of cop are you?"

"I'm a federal agent, NCIS."

"What the hell is that?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Tony answered, "We were there to find out who killed Rick Yates."

"So?" Jake asked again.

"Was it you?" Tony asked.

"Why the hell would I tell you if I did!"

"Why the hell wouldn't you if you didn't?" Tony countered.

Jake's eyes narrowed, "You can't be a very good cop if you're only lead is me."

Tony tilted to one side and answered, "Who said you were my only lead?"

"You obviously haven't otherwise you wouldn't be asking me if I killed Rick," Jake commented.

"Were you and Rick friends?" Tony asked, noting the familiarity Jake possessed calling Marine sergeant Yates by his first name. Jake shrugged, "I know he took in runaways like you, how often did you stay the night?" Jake shrugged again, "Once? Twice? Every week?" Tony tried, receiving only more shrugs in return, "Were you and Rick more than friends?" Tony asked, knowing he was treading on unstable ground.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He gave you a place to stay; did he want anything in return?"

"What the hell?"

"I have to ask," Tony reasoned, "You're underage and I need to know if Rick Yates forced you to do anything."

Jake slid his feet off the table and slammed his hands down on the metal table, "You don't know what you're talking about cop!"

"Then tell me," Tony replied calmly, ignoring Jake's temper.

"He gave me a sofa to sleep on and some food to eat that's all!"

"How often?" Jake shrugged, "What were you doing in his house last night?"

"That's none of your business," Jake hissed, glaring daggers at Tony. Tony said nothing and for the next five minutes neither spoke. They stared at each other like an unprompted staring contest, both too stubborn to concede defeat. Eventually Tony spoke.

"Is the headache getting to you?" He asked, "You're eyes burning, your throat feeling dry and coarse, you're stomach churning," Jake said nothing, "Hangovers are a bitch aren't they?….Do you drink to forget the pain or do you drink to cause pain? You're so numb to the world that only pain makes you feel alive," Tony spoke, the words coming from somewhere he normally kept locked up tight. He just knew Gibbs would bring it back up later, question him about it and he began to regret each word even though he was unable to stop his mouth from spurting them out, "What is it?" He asked quietly, "Did you kill Rick Yates? Did you lash out, expel all the anger you have bottled up inside you onto a man who did nothing but help you?" Again no answer, "Or did you see who killed Rick Yates? Did you watch them as they killed the only person in the world you meant anything to you?" A flash of something past across Jake's eyes and Tony knew he'd hit the nail on the head, "What happened last night?" Tony asked.

"I'm not telling you anything!"

"That's okay; I already know you slept over at his house more than once, that he was your friend. I know you didn't kill him… and I know _you_ know who did," Jake's eyes widened as Tony spoke, "You told me everything I needed to know," He stood up and walked to the door. He opened the door but stopped himself and turned back to the boy, "Life's a bitch isn't it?" He said before closing the door behind him with a smart click.

In the adjoining room Gibbs and Ziva stared at the boy. The silence broke when Ziva spoke, "He's good," She observed.

"Yes," Gibbs agreed, "Yes he is," He said before turning and leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs left the room and jogged down the corridor to catch up with his second in command. They both entered the elevator silently and kept up the silence as the elevator doors closed behind them and began to ascend. Gibbs put out his left arm and pressed the emergency stop button. Tony turned his head to face his boss, his expression dark.

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to suppress the anger he still felt from the interrogation.

"That's what I want to know," Gibbs replied, "Wanna explain what all that was about?"

"Not really," Tony replied quickly, he dug his hands into his trousers pockets and avoided Gibbs' strong gaze.

"Tony," Gibbs spoke softly, "You and I both know that back in that room…you were talking from experience," Tony pushed himself against the wall of the elevator and dropped his head, his eyes stared absently at the worn grey carpet, "Tony," Gibbs said again, this time more forcefully.

"What?" Tony snapped. His head shot back up, "What do you want me to say?" He asked "You want me to say that my dad drunk so much he forgot who I was? Or that it was a drunk driver that ploughed into the car when I was twelve, killing my mom? Or that I can't ever have more than one beer, because I'm too scared what any more might do to me!"

"That's a start," Gibbs replied calmly after Tony's rant. He knew Tony needed to let it all out before he could get back to work. He knew about Tony's mother and his father's drinking problem anyway, "You remember what I told you about interrogating suspects?" He asked.

Tony sighed and then answered the question, "Never let it become personal."

"If it becomes personal the suspect can hold it over you, you can't-

"-let them get to you," Tony finished, "I remember, sorry Boss."

"Don't be," Gibbs shook his head, "You got something out of that kid, you connected with him and got what we needed. You and he are more similar than you'd like to admit," Gibbs said before starting the elevator up again.

The time it took for the elevator to reach its destination gave Tony time to take a deep breathe and clear his head. He smiled, "Thanks Boss."

"Don't mention it," Gibbs replied before stepping out of the elevator and into the squad room. Tony followed. A second later an agent ran up to Gibbs, out of breath, "What is it?" Gibbs asked.

The agent took in a deep breath before answering, "The kid got away, slippery little thing ran off when we were moving him to the cells."

"Okay, lock the building down and search it room by room," Gibbs ordered.

"He's small, check cupboards and ventilation shafts too," Tony added. The agent nodded firmly before running off.

"McGee get the Navy Yard security team on the look out then get out there yourself, get Ziva to co-ordinate the rest of the search," Everyone nodded, "I want this kid found, he'd the only link we have to Yates's killer," Gibbs and Tony headed back to the elevator while McGee phoned Ziva.

They searched the building for more than an hour with no results. The navy yard security had been informed and were on the lookout but it was a big area to search and almost impossible to find a person, especially if they didn't want to be found.

"Sorry Boss," Tony shook his head as he hung up his phone and turned Gibbs, "No-one's seen him. A boy like him could find a way out if he wanted one badly enough, trust me," Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"You spent a lot of time running and hiding from people did you?" Ziva asked.

"My dad threw the kind of parties that made you want to kill yourself, it became a game to escape unnoticed," Tony smiled, "This one time I jumped onto the drinks cart and had the butler wheel me out."

"Okay," Gibbs brought the attention back to him, "Contact local LEO's and inform them of Harry Houdini, in the mean time, find anyone else who knew Yates. I'll be in Autopsy," He said before marching to the elevator to join Ducky.

After a long tiring day of frequent phone calls and database searches Tony sighed in relief as he finally pulled into his allotted parking space underneath his apartment building. They'd had no luck locating the boy and Gibbs' mood deteriorated a little more each hour. By the time Tony had left Gibb's glare had made several of the younger agents cry, even the glare had sent a few seasoned agents running. Tony yawned widely as he pulled out his backpack and jacket before slamming the door shut and locking it. He strode towards the elevator that would take him to his apartment on the fifth floor. He swore as he saw the sign cover the elevators doors telling him it was out of order. He sighed loudly again and braced himself for the five flights of stairs. Any other day and he would have enjoyed the exercise but Tony barely had enough energy left for one flight of stairs left alone five. He barely managed it, taking a minute at the top before carrying on to his apartment at the end of the corridor. He frowned as he neared his apartment door, at first he thought his eyes were deceiving him, his mind playing a trick on his in his weary state. Huddled on his doorstep was Jake Milos, he looked more tired than Tony was and more than likely drunk. The boy looked up as he heard Tony's footsteps.

"I hate you," He told Tony.

Tony nodded, "Okay," He answered; he stepped over the boy and opened his apartment door. He entered and instantly flicked on the light. He turned back to the boy,

"You coming in or not?" He asked. Jake watched Tony carefully for a minute before shuffling into the apartment. Tony closed the door behind him then led him into the living room.

"Couch is yours," He nodded to the inviting couch before walking off. He re-entered the room and threw a blanket and pillow onto the couch. Tony watched Jake eye the couch and he smiled,

"It won't bite" Jake said nothing but grabbed the blanket and laid down on the couch. "I'm in the other room if you need anything" Tony said before heading to his bedroom. He was too tired for any food or TV. He took off his trousers and shirt and slipped under the covers in just his boxers and an old T-shirt. He pulled the gun out from it's holster on his belt and placed it under the pillow, aware of the drunk and angry teen than was currently in the other room. He wouldn't use it on Jake, but he instantly felt safer knowing it was there. He stayed awake as long as he could, listening for any noise in the other room then fell into a deep sleep, the gun under the pillow and the boy in the lounge forgotten.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony woke up five minutes before his alarm and switched it off before it would deafen him. He still had a couple of hours before he needed to be back at work and he took the time to work out how he got there. Tony ran through his mind but he hadn't given out his address at any point. Maybe the boy had followed him home after a day long drinking session although where he got the alcohol from Tony didn't know. Why he came to Tony was another matter. Gibbs had said that he had connected to the boy but Tony couldn't see that. He'd angered the boy, used him to the get the information he needed. It didn't matter though. His first job was to phone Gibbs and tell him what was going on before Jake woke up. Tony pulled back the covers and picked up the phone he dialed as he walked to the bedroom door and opened it a crack.

"Gibbs," His Boss answered, not too pleased at the early morning call. Tony didn't say anything. The couch was vacant, the blanket thrown across the arm. There was no sign of Jake, "Who is this?" Gibbs asked angrily.

"It's me Boss, it's uh nothing, it can wait," He answered distractedly. He hung up and threw the phone on the bed. He had a quick shower and pulled some clothes on before wandering into the lounge to look for any clues to Jake's whereabouts. There was nothing. For a second Tony wondered whether he'd dreamt the whole thing when he spotted a plate on the coffee table. He could have sworn he'd left five dollars there the other day. He sighed as he realised what that meant.

"Damn kid," He said under his breath. He made himself some breakfast, caught the morning headlines on the TV and then headed out the apartment. He closed the door and turned, he stopped suddenly and frowned. Sitting on the floor by his feet was a piece of card. He bent down and picked it up. It was an address for a drop in centre for the homeless. Jake must have used it on cold nights. Tony slipped it in his pocket for later. It was only a fifteen minute drive to work and for once Tony arrived early. Ziva's eyes widened as Tony exited the elevator and walked into the squad room, throwing his backpack under his desk and dropping into his chair. She looked at her watch.

"Yes I'm early; can we just get to work?" Tony pre-empted any remark from Ziva. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A minute later Gibbs walked into the room, coffee in his hand.

"What the hell was that phone call this morning DiNozzo?" He asked as he passed Tony's desk and sat at his own.

"I got a visitor last night boss," Tony answered cryptically, leaning back in his chair as he spoke. Gibbs looked up at Tony, giving him his patented _don't leave me hanging _glare or glare number twelve as Tony liked to call it, "Found Jake on my doorstep last night."

"And why isn't he in custody now?" Gibbs voice rose, his glare morphing into number seven: The _answer quick before I shoot _you glare.

"He was drunk and barely able to keep his eyes open boss. I gave him the couch, was gonna bring him back in this morning. Didn't expect him to wake before me, he'd vanished by the time I was up."

Gibbs sighed, "And what are we supposed to do now DiNozzo? Hope he comes back for lunch?" He remarked sarcastically.

"Actually," Tony began as he dipped into his trouser pocket and displayed the card he'd found on his doorstep, "I thought we'd go to him," There was no praise from Gibbs but the slight smile on Gibbs' lips was all Tony needed to know he'd done okay.

"Take Ziva," Gibbs told Tony.

"On it Boss," Tony nodded, "Need to get my five bucks back anyway," He added. He picked up his backpack and headed back to the elevator, Ziva just a step behind him.

"You gave the boy your couch?" Ziva questioned as they walked towards the drop-in center.

"Yeah so?"

"Nothing, I just wondering how often you give murder suspects your couch," Ziva noted.

"He didn't do it," Tony replied quickly, glad that his sunglasses protected him from Ziva's gaze.

"Why are you so sure?"

"You saw the interrogation."

"Yes but-"

Tony stepped in front of Ziva to stop her in her tracks, he pulled off his sunglasses, "Look, Gibbs isn't the only one with gut instincts. I talked to the kid and I can tell you he didn't do it, Okay?"

"Okay," Tony placed sunglasses in his shirt pocket and took off again, not waiting for Ziva to catch up.

Tony pulled open the entrance door and walked through, Ziva managed to catch the door before it closed and entered behind Tony. Just inside the entrance was a reception desk. Behind it sat a middle aged man in the middle of a phone conversation. Tony coughed loudly to get the mans attention but all he did was wave his hand at Tony. This wasn't someone who'd fall for Tony's charm. He coughed loudly and received a frown for his efforts. Ziva finally had enough. She reached over the desk and hung up the phone. The man looked up at Ziva and glared.

"Do you need something?" He asked.

Tony pulled out his badge and flipped it at the man, "Special Agent DiNozzo, this is Officer David, NCIS."

"Feds huh? What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for Jake Milos, Does he come here often?"

"Sure, he's a regular here, 'bought three times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less," the man shrugged.

"Do you know where he can find him? We need to get hold of him."

"Don't know where he hangs out," He shook his head, "But he's here now, came in for breakfast and a shower, he's in the dining room as we speak."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Ziva asked. The man just shrugged, "Which way?"

"Down the corridor," The man nodded to the door, "Second on the right," They nodded and headed for the door. Quickly and quietly they walked down the corridor and stopped outside the second door. Tony peered through the small window in the door and surveyed the small dining room. It was mostly empty, a few people were still scattered round the room finishing their breakfast. Tony spotted Jake in the very corner on his own, his back to the door. His eyes widened.

"He's wearing one of my coats!" He exclaimed.

"You did let him into your home, what do you expect?"

Tony glared at Ziva, "We go in quietly, I don't want to startle him, he's more slippery than….."

"More slippery than what?" Ziva frowned.

"I don't know! Something very slippery, come on," Tony ignored Ziva's puzzled look and pushed open the door and waited for Ziva to enter before softly closing the door behind her. They maneuvered round the tables and closed in on Jake. Suddenly a homeless man pushed his chair back from his table, the screech loud enough to catch Jake's attention. His head spun round at the noise and instantly spotted the two federal agents. He burst from his chair immediately. He darted to the left, jumping over a table to get to the kitchen door, "Not again," Tony said as he chased after Jake. He jumped over the same table and entered the kitchen. Tony sprinted through the kitchen, zipping past kitchen helpers and food trolleys. Jake pushed one over to slow Tony down. Tony hurdled over it with ease and carried on after Jake.

"Will you please stop!" Tony shouted. Jake exited out the back door into a garden, he slammed the door behind him, the door locking in place. When Tony reached the door, he pushed at it with no luck. He pulled up his right leg and kicked the door with everything he had. The door swung open, barely still on its hinges. Once Tony was in the garden he gained speed, He spotted Jake just ahead of him, as he attempted to climb the back wall. Tony reached the wall and jumped, grabbing Jake's legs just before Jake could climb over the top. He pulled and Jake fell back down onto the grass. Tony grabbed Jake before he could run again and handcuffed him.

"Let's not make this a habit huh?" Tony said as he pulled Jake to his feet.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry you had to wait so long for chapter 5, wasn't co-operations and wasn't letting me upload the chapter. I'll try and be quicker with the next chapters. Hope you like this chapter 

Tony led Jake into the squad room. He held him by the shoulders and spun him round. He took one cuff off, pushed Jake into his own chair and then preceded to cuff him to the leg of his desk.

"Try getting out of that one," Tony remarked before stealing McGee's chair for himself. Jake growled under his breath and glared at Tony, "Oohh, I'm so scared" Tony said sarcastically. Jake kept on glaring, "I get it, you're pissed at me, but how about you direct that oh so pleasant anger towards the guys that killed Rick. Help us find him," Tony pleaded.

"If I'm not under arrest why am I handcuffed?"

"Why do you think Road Runner?"

"Why do you think I run?"

Tony leant back in his chair and crossed him arms, "People run when they're scared," He answered.

"I'm not scared!" Jake cried, outraged at the accusation.

"No?"

"No," Jake replied firmly.

"Okay," Tony lifted his legs up and dumped them on his desk in front of Jake "How did you meet Rick?" He asked, genuinely interested in the answer. Jake shrugged, "What about an easier question, Why do you run from people trying to help you?" Jake still didn't answer, "Okay, it's not an easier question, but now you have two questions, you're choice which one you answer."

Jake sighed, "I jumped out into the road one night, he nearly ran me over. He took me back to his and gave me his couch and a burger."

"You trusted him?"

"I was cold, tired and hungry, what did you expect me to do?"

"I gave you my couch, you helped yourself to my money and clothes and I'm trying to find Rick's killers, how about trusting me?"

"Why do you care so much if I trust you?"

"Why do you care if I care?" The pair stared at each other, neither willing to concede.

"God you two just go round in circles don't you?" Tony heard Gibbs' voice from above them. Gibbs stood halfway down the stairs, leaning on the rail and watching the pair in amusement. It was obvious that he'd been listening to them for a while.

"What can I do for you boss?"

"We're going to question Yates' CO, keep an eye on the kid" Tony looked at Gibbs in horror, he'd already begun formulating an excuse when Gibbs spoke, "Don't even bother trying DiNozzo, I'll handcuff you to him if I have to."

"What is it with you guys and handcuffs?" Jake asked. Tony didn't reply. He watched jealously as Gibbs, McGee and Ziva entered the elevator and sighed as the doors closed behind them, "Looks like you're stuck with me."

"Lucky me."

"If I promise not to run will you un-cuff me?"

"If I un-cuff you will you run?"

"I just promised not to."

"No, you hypothetically promised, there's a difference."

"Okay, I promise not to run."

"You're past history leads me to believe you're lying."

"That's a risk you're going to have to take," Tony studied Jake for a second before dipping into his trouser pocket for the key to the cuffs. He leant over and uncuffed Jake's wrist, letting the cuffs dangle on the desk leg. Jake rubbed his wrist. Tony waited for Jake to bolt, "See?" Jake said as he stayed put.

"Doesn't mean you aren't going to try something when my back is turned."

"Then don't turn your back," Jake raised an eyebrow, "You got any games on this computer?" He asked.

"This is a federal agency, what do you think?"

"I think you don't want me beating your top score,"

"You're a clever kid, ever thought about, oh I don't know…school?"

"Ever thought about, oh I don't know…minding your own business?"

"Why choose the streets over a roof over your head, food on the table and parents who love you?"

"Your parents love you?"

"We're not talking about me," Tony avoided the question.

"How about parents that turn you into their own personal servant? That hit you if the floor doesn't shine they way they want it to, make you sleep on the floor and give you leftovers to eat, that's if they feed you at all."

"Hardly," Tony replied softly, reminded again how different their upbringings were.

"The streets are a lot easier."

"Not all people are like that Jake, there are people that can't have kids of their own, they spoil their adopted children, they get their own bedrooms, are given their favourite food for dinner after a long day at school, then the whole family goes to the lake at the weekend where they swim and play games"

Jake laughed, "You've obviously watched too much hallmark."

Tony ignored Jake's remark, "I think it's time for question number two."

"What?"

"Why do you run from people that help you?"

"You seem to think you have all the answers, why do you think it is?"

"Because it's easier to run and live on the streets than to risk it all and trust people."

Jake shook his head, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Tony carried on, knowing that what he was saying was hitting deep, "If you let people in then they could hurt you, if you commit to a relationship it's an opening for them to let you down."

"Stop," He shook his head almost violently, as if it physically hurt him to listen to Tony.

"The streets aren't safe and they aren't easy but they're all you know and sometimes that's safer. You can drink yourself to death and live in a doorway but you're not living, you're hiding," Jake burst from the seat and ran towards the elevator, Tony not far behind him. He spun Jake around to face him. Jake took a swing at Tony. Tony ducked out the way and grabbed Jake's wrist stopping him from hitting again. Jake just used his other hand, clenching a fist and punching Tony in the chest. Tony grabbed his other hand.

"Let go of me," Jake shouted as he struggled against Tony.

"You know how I know huh?" Tony asked as he held Jake, "I know because I do the same. I date younger women, go out to clubs and pick them up because to me it's safer having a hundred one night stands than it is to have one committed relationship. We're both hiding from the world and it's slowly killing both of us," Jake slumped against Tony and sobbed. As Jake held onto Tony for dear life, Tony lowered them both to the ground, letting Jake cry out all his frustrations onto his Armani shirt.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony sat on the edge of the steel autopsy table. His legs dangled and he held tightly onto the edges of the table, his knuckles turning white. He watched the windowless door in front of him like he had x-ray vision. Tony blinked when the door opened and Ducky slowly walked out.

"How is he?" Tony asked.

Ducky smiled at Tony empathetically, "He's asleep," He answered. Tony nodded dumbly, "How are you?" Ducky asked, moving closer to Tony.

"It's my fault," Tony answered after a second, "I pushed him, hit a nerve, kept on at him even when he asked me to stop," His voice barely a whisper.

Ducky placed a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, "Answer a question for me please Anthony?" Tony didn't say anything so Ducky continued, "Why do you care so much about the boy?"

"I don't know Ducky," He shook his head, "Any other kid, any other case and I'd avoid them, they hate me, I hate them but Jake? I know him, I understand him."

"Have you thought that maybe Jake came into your life for a reason?" Ducky asked. Tony looked up but his cell phone rang before he could answer the question.

"Where the hell are you?" Gibbs voice questioned.

"Down with Ducky, you should probably get down here," Tone replied and then hung up. A minute later Gibbs stalked out the elevator, McGee and Ziva tagging behind.

"What!" Gibbs looked around, "And where is Jake? Don't tell me you lost him again."

"He's asleep on the couch in Ducky's office," Tony answered.

"Why?"

Tony sighed, "I antagonised him" He said cryptically.

"You antagonise McGee everyday, he's not asleep on Ducky's couch," Ziva spoke.

"He broke down okay? He tried to run from me I stopped him, he tried to punch me I stopped him so instead I held him while he cried," Tony snapped. He pushed himself off the table and walked to the door. He stood by it but didn't open it.

Gibbs walked up to Tony, "Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one asleep on Ducky's couch because I'm all cried out," Tony replied.

"Then why don't you go see if he's okay, and get him to tell you who killed Yates while you're at it."

"Okay," Tony nodded but didn't move.

"In your own time," Gibbs said sarcastically. When Tony still didn't move Gibbs opened the door to Ducky's office, pushed Tony inside and closed the door behind him. Jake jerked awake as the door slammed shut. Tony walked further into the room and sat down on the nearest chair.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked.

Jake frowned, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Tony smiled, "I know I haven't acted like it, in fact I've acted like a complete jerk but I really am a nice person, I do care if you're okay."

Jake nodded, "I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, ready to talk now?"

"Isn't that what we've already been doing for the last two days?"

"No," Tony shook his head, "We've been speaking, sniping, whatever you want to call it, we haven't been talking."

Jake shrugged, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Who killed Rick?" Jake shook his head, "We can protect you Jake, you do not have to be afraid. The people that killed him need to be brought to justice before they go and kill someone else, you trusted Rick, you can trust me…please." Tony watched Jake in silence as he decided what he was going to do.

"Look, I don't know their names."

"What happened?"

"I heard a knock at the door…It was late so Rick told me to stay put while he got rid of whoever was there….I heard a lot of shouting and then a big bang, sounded like the door being kicked in. I ran, hid in the cupboard. I….I left it open a crack," Jake stopped so Tony interrupted.

"What did you see Jake?"

"Rick ran into the room, a second later the three guys jumped him, pulled him to the ground, they just kept kicking him, over and over and over again, felt like it went on for hours….It was probably only minutes, they left once they realised what they'd done."

"Who were they?"

Jake shrugged, "I've seen them around…on the streets. Bully's all of them. They hang around underneath the 5th street bridge."

Tony nodded, "Thank you," Tony stood up. He stopped suddenly when Jake grabbed his wrist.

"What's going to happen to me now?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," Tony answered honestly.

"But it's all my fault!" Jake cried.

Tony frowned, "What are you talking about?" He sat back down.

"I just sat there and hid! Watched while they killed the only person who gave a damn about me! It's my fault he'd dead!"

"Jake, if you have tried to help Rick then they probably would have killed you too. You had no chance against three guys twice your size, Rick's death is not your fault do you hear me?" Jake didn't say anything, "This is not your fault."

He nodded, "Okay."

"Get some more sleep," Tony said softly before standing back up and walking out, closing the door behind him. He turned to find the team had stayed.

"Well?" Gibbs asked.

"Three guys stormed Yate's house after he turned them away. Rick ran into the bedroom, probably to get his service weapon. They jumped him, Jake hid in the cupboard during the beating."

"You know where we can find these guys?"

"He says they hang out under the 5th street bridge."

"Okay, we'll get him to come with us, he'll identify, we'll catch some killers," Gibbs decided.

Tony shook his head, "I don't think he's up for that."

"He's a strong kid DiNozzo, he can manage that."

"He feels that Rick Yate's death was his fault because he hid in the closet instead of trying to stop it."

"Look, I know he's been through a lot but he's the only one who can identify the killers, what do you want me to do? Arrest everyone under the bridge and interrogate them all until three of them crack? That's a popular hangout for the homeless, there could be twenty or more people there."

Tony sighed, he ran a hand through his hair as he thought about it, "Okay, I'll talk to him," Tony turned back round t the office door and frowned, "I swear I left this door closed," He said out loud. He walked into the office and instantly noticed that the room was empty. The team walked in behind him, "He's gone," Tony told the team. He turned to the couch and picked up the two items that had been left behind, "Damnit," Tony swore.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked.

"My five bucks, my jacket."

"I don't understand," McGee spoke up.

"He's gone after the killers himself Probie," Tony answered.


	8. Chapter 8

The car screeched as it came to a halt under the bridge. Four people stepped out and immediately began scanning the area.

"This place is huge, he could be anywhere," Tony spoke as he whipped off his sunglasses. It was dark underneath the long bridge. Abandoned buildings lined each side, blocking out any light and underneath, it housed boxes and sheds where the homeless slept and lived.

"DiNozzo, McGee you check out the buildings, Me and Ziva will talk to the locals," Gibbs nodded to the few nosey homeless people who were staring at them. Tony and McGee nodded and began walking towards the nearest building. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. The windows were all broken and the walls coated in graffiti. There was another building right next door that also looked abandoned.

"Probie, take this one, I'll go check out that one," He pointed to the far building. McGee nodded in reply, "Watch your six," Tony added before jogging towards the building. The front door swung open and Tony stepped into the building slowly and quietly. He kept a hand on the weapon on his belt. He scanned the first room, it was empty. As he moved further into the room he heard noises. He pulled his gun out of its holster and held it in front of him. The gun led him forward into a hallway and up some stairs, the noises getting louder after every step. The first room in the first floor was empty, the second room was also empty the third room's door was closed most of the way. Tony peered thought the crack in the door. His eyes widened slightly as he spotted Jake with two large guys standing over him, taunting him.

"You came here to beat us up?" The first guy said with a sneer while the others laughed.

"He's dumber than he looks!" The other replied.

"Well then he needs to be taught a few lessons."

Before the raised fist could hit flesh Tony burst into the room, his gun still raised. "Federal Agent, don't move!" He shouted and the two men stopped. Tony moved towards them. Suddenly Tony was hit from behind; he stumbled and dropped the gun which fell underneath an old piece of machinery. The strike was hard enough to knock Tony to the floor. He picked himself back up again and spun round. He mentally kicked himself, forgetting that Rick had been killed by _three_ men.

"Looks like the tough guy just lost his advantage," The first spat.

"Now we have two lessons to teach," The other added as he pulled out a knife.

"Okay, not the odds I normally like but I can deal with this," Tony quipped. One guy lunged first; Tony easily blocked the blow and managed to get one in himself, right in the groin. The man crumpled to the ground in pain. The next guy managed to hit skin and Tony's head flung back with an audible click. As Tony recovered the man punched him in the stomach and he doubled over.

"Tony!" Jake shouted. Tony's head snapped up and met Jake's eyes. He didn't think the kid had even said his name before and there was fear in his voice._ Why would Jake care about him?_

"Stay back Jake!" Tony shouted back. Tony pulled himself up and got a punch in, then another on. The man went down and he added a kick to the stomach for good measure" He turned to the last guy with the knife, "Two down one to go," The knife guy lunged forward. Tony stepped back easily and the knife missed him by inches. The guy tried again and this time Tony moved a second too late, the Knife slashed across his chest and a line of blood appeared through his shirt. Tony looked down, "Just a scratch," He said with a shrug, "You'll have to do better than that," The guy lunged one way and then a second later changed direction. Tony didn't anticipate the move and the next thing he knew the knife had plunged through his gut to the hilt. His eyes widened as the knife was twisted.

"No!" Jake jumped onto the man's back, wrapped his arms around his neck and held on for dear life. The man let go off the knife in an attempt to pull Jake off. Tony winced and cried out in pain as he pulled the knife out of his own body. He threw the knife away. He looked up just in time to see Jake being thrown across the room.

"What don't you pick on someone your own size," Tony brought the attention back to him. The guy turned to him with a sick smile on his face. A slick sheen of sweat already covered Tony's forehead and the blood from his wound was spreading down his shirt. The man got a couple of hits in before Tony managed to turn the tables. The man was larger than the others and wasn't going to be taken down so easily. They swapped punches, to the face, to the chest, to the stomach. Tony's energy began to fade quickly and his punches did less and less damage. Suddenly he felt stabbing pains run through his body when one of the hits connected to his wound. He cried out and fell to the ground. The man stood over him. With what little energy he had left, Tony kicked his legs out, tripping the other man. He fell backwards and the back of his head connected with the concrete floor, knocking him unconscious instantly. Tony sighed in relief as he realised it was over. His whole body fell limp on the ground and the only sound out of him was a rattled breath. Jake rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"I'll live," Tony croaked, "Hopefully," He added as an afterthought. "Get the phone out of my top pocket," He ordered, "Speed dial one, tell Gibbs where we are," Tony winced as he moved slightly. Any movement sent shooting pains everywhere. Jake pulled the phone out and held down one, it rung and a second later Gibbs answered.

"Gibbs."

"It's Jake," Jake spoke.

"Where's Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"He's hurt, you have to come quick, there's too much blood."

"Okay Jake, Tell me where you are," He spoke slowly.

"It's the building with the green roof, first floor," Jake answered.

"That's good Jake, we're on our way over, now I want you to stop the bleeding, can you do that?"

"How?"

"Find something and place it over the wound then press hard, it's going to hurt him but it will keep him alive."

"Okay."

"Keep pressing down on the wound, we'll be there any minute," Gibbs hung up and Jake through the phone away. He searched the room for something to use and he swore when he found nothing.

"Language," Tony admonished weakly. Jake ignored him. He pulled off his own shirt and crumpled it into a ball.

"This is going to hurt," He told Tony.

Tony nodded, "I know, this isn't my first stab wound," He gritted his teeth and waited for the inevitable pain as Jake put the shirt over the wound and then pushed hard. He groaned and bit his lip hard, drawing blood as he stopped himself from crying out loud and freaking the boy out more than he already had. It felt like hours not minutes by the time the team arrived. Gibbs crouched down next to Tony whilst McGee phoned for an ambulance and Ziva cuffed the three unconscious men.

"How you doing DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, genuinely concerned about the welfare of his agent.

"Just peachy," Tony answered with a cough. Blood began to trickle from his lips.

"Get the ambulance here now McGee, Tony doesn't have a lot of time!" Gibbs ordered.

"How did you take down these three guys at once Tony?" Ziva asked in disbelief.

"They took turns," Was Tony's reply.

"Don't talk, save your energy," Gibbs told Tony as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Jake slumped back and away from Tony as Gibbs took over. Blood had drenched the shirt and his hands were now covered Tony's blood, "Is he going to be okay?" Jake asked.

"He's going to be just fine Jake, Tony's a fighter," Gibbs reassured.

"It's all my fault, if hadn't hid in the cupboard, if I hadn't tried to go after his killers on my own."

"Did you stab Tony?" Gibbs asked. Jake shook his head dumbly, "Then this is not your fault."

"Boss the ambulance is here," McGee spoke as he watched the ambulance park out the window.

"Go get them up here," Gibbs ordered and McGee ran down to get the paramedics. Thirty seconds later McGee arrived back with two men in medical uniforms. A minute later they were scooping Tony up off the ground and rushing him into the ambulance and off to hospital. Gibbs, McGee and Ziva began walking to the car to follow behind.

"I wanna come with," Jake called from behind them.

Gibbs turned to the fifteen year old with blood on his hands and nodded, "Get in," He nodded towards the sedan, "I warn you, I drive fast," He added.

"Worse than her?" Jake pointed to Ziva.

"Yes," Gibbs said, "Now get in the damn car," All four climbed into the car and it screeched away from the 5th street bridge and towards the hospital.


	9. Chapter 9

Ahh! Only one more chapter to go! Thank you for all the reviews so far, I'm so glad everyone likes the story.

Tony opened his eyes to the gentle beeping of the heart monitor and the calm blue walls that screamed hospital. All the memories of the fight came flooding back and he looked down his body to catalogue his injuries. He could feel the tightness in his chest which told him he had a couple of bruised ribs from the fight. As he swallowed he could feel the bruises on his face and the cut lip. There was also bruises on his knuckles from where he'd repeatedly punched the guys that had killed Rick Yates.

"You're going to have a nice scar," A familiar voice spoke. Tony looked up and saw Gibbs sitting in a chair next to his bed. His eyes darted to the young figure asleep in the chair next to Gibbs. He frowned.

"How am I doing?" Tony croaked, still groggy from still waking up.

"You lost a lot of blood at the scene and the knife nicked your liver, they repaired the damage in surgery, you'll be just fine DiNozzo," Even though Tony was going to be fine he could still see the worry in Gibb's eyes that told him how close he came to dying.

"What about him?"

Gibbs turned to look at Jake and then back at Tony, he smiled, "A couple of bruises." He shrugged.

"What's he doing here?"

"Hasn't left your side."

"Really? Why?"

"Beats me DiNozzo, seems like the kid likes you."

"I like him too," Tony answered honestly.

Gibb's lip quirked as he held down a smile, "I've noticed."

Tony stared at Jake, curled up in the uncomfortable chair, a hospital blanket placed over him. He looked so much younger when he was asleep; there was no defences, no wall to hide behind. Just a fifteen year old kid fast asleep. "Boss?" Tony whispered.

"Yes?"

"What would happen if…I mean do you think I could…..would he?….I don't know," Tony shook his head, "Forget it."

Gibbs knew what Tony was talking about and wasn't about to forget it, "You want to give him a home."

"He probably wouldn't want it; he'll run the first chance he gets."

"The first chance he got, he was still sitting here waiting for you to wake up," Gibbs argued.

"I work long hours, am frequently in harms way, who says I could look after him anyway."

"He's fifteen! He's already raised. He needs a bed to sleep in, food to eat and someone to be there for him," He reasoned.

"What about his drinking?"

"Ever heard of AA?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "Why are you thinking of every reason not to do this?"

"Because this is me we're talking about," Tony shifted in his bed and winced as he pulled his stitches slightly.

Gibbs stood up and walked to Tony's bedside, "I can't think of anyone who needs him more than you, just the way he needs you," He spoke honestly. He'd watched the two of them together. They were so alike that Gibbs wondered if they weren't related. He knew that Tony was the only person that could keep Jake in line and Jake could be the only person who could mature Tony.

"Who are you and what have you done with my boss?" Tony joked, glad for the lighter moment.

Gibbs ignored that, "Talk to him….before I kick your ass for taking on three guys without back up."

Tony smiled, "There he is."

Gibbs turned to Jake and noticed him waking up, "I'm going for coffee," He said before walking out the room.

Jake opened his eyes and instantly turned to Tony, "You're awake."

"So are you," Tony replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm not in any pain if that's what you're asking, I have morphine running through my veins and I'm gonna savour every minute of it."

"That's good."

"Yes, how have you been doing?"

"Good, good," Jake nodded.

"Gibbs tells me you haven't left this room."

Jake sighed, "He's right."

"Why?" Jake shrugged, "Oh no, we're not going back to this again, no shrugging allowed," Tony shook his head.

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"Why haven't you run?"

"Maybe I'm tired of running," Tony's eye's snapped to Jake's and they stared at each other in complete silence. Their staring competition was interrupted when a nurse came in to check Tony's meds. Tony smiled at the cute nurse and thanked her. Once she'd left Tony looked at Jake again.

"I have something to offer you."

"Yeah? What's that? You'll ring social services for me? Find me a nice home?"

Tony shook his head, "I've already found you a home."

Jake's eyes widened, "Where?"

"I have a spare bedroom…it's filled with gym equipment at the moment but we can empty it out then it's yours, you can do what you like with it. I work long hours which means you'd pretty much have the apartment to yourself but that's okay cos I have cable and a DVD collection to rival a video store, I can't cook that well but I have all the best takeouts on speed-dial… of course you'd have to go to school but other than that…." Tony trailed off.

Jake looked at Tony with confusion, "Are you asking me to live with you?"

Tony didn't answer the question, "Then there's the fact that I'm a trouble magnet and that I'll probably be spending a lot of time in this place recovering from gunshot wounds, concussions, knife wounds etcetera."

Jake smiled, "I can live with that,"

Tony turned serious, "I have one condition."

"Name it."

"You have to attend AA, if you're going to live in my house you're going to live by my rules," Jake stayed silent, "I'm offering you a second chance Jake, for you to start over again…..no crappy living arrangements with parents who don't love you……no sleeping in doorways and running from the police. I can't help you if you won't help yourself."

Jake nodded, "I understand."

"Good, now I need more sleep."

"I'll be right here."

"I know you will be."

"I'm gonna be here for a while Jake."

"I know."

"You can't stay here until I leave."

"Why not!"

"Those chairs aren't comfortable, trust me I know….get Gibbs to give you my house key….If I get out of here and find my apartment missing a TV or a CD player then I'm going to hunt you down and kick your ass," Tony mumbled as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Yeah yeah," Jake smiled, "Go to sleep"


	10. Chapter 10

Last chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you're the reason I keep writing! Thanks to Richefic who turned this chapter into something great.

Haven't got any new stories planned but look out!!

"Jake!" Tony shouted as he walked from his bedroom to the kitchen just as the toast popped out of the toaster. "Get your ass out of bed! We're both going to be late again!" He buttered the toast and cut it in half, placing one half in his mouth. He walked back out of the kitchen, through the living room and walked into Jake's bedroom without knocking. Jake was still under the covers. "Come on Jake, Gibbs has been pretty tolerant so far but that's going to wear off quickly and I really don't want another phone call from your school."

Jake sighed and pushed the covers away, "Fine," Tony handed him the other half of the toast and he began to eat it, "You going to be home on time tonight or am I going to have to make myself dinner again?" Jake asked as he climbed out of bed.

"Barring serious injury I promise to be back on time tonight, and to make it up to you we'll go out for food, what do you want?"

Jake smiled, "Burgers."

"Burgers it is, we'll go to the grill on Main street," Tony left the room while Jake got changed for school. He grabbed his gun and badge from his Gun safe, grabbed a jacket from the closet and his backpack that sat on the couch in the living room. Jake came out as Tony finished getting ready wearing a ripped pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"It's cold out there, go put a jacket on."

Jake rolled his eyes, "Yes mom," Jake turned back to his room and came back out a second later with a jacket. He held his hand out and Tony placed five dollars in the open hand. Jake stuffed it in his jeans pocket and picked up his own backpack.

"You ready?" Jake nodded.

"Let's go then," Tony opened the front door and waited for Jake to exit the apartment before closing and locking the door. The pair walked down the hallway and down the five flights of stairs. Down in the garage Tony unlocked the mustang and climbed into the drivers seat while Jake climbed in the passenger side.

"When I'm 16 are you going to let me drive?"

Tony laughed, "Not in this car."

Jake's eyes widened, "Are you going to buy me a car?"

"Do I look like Bill Gates?"

"Your family is rich," Jake said and Tony wished he hadn't told Jake about the family business, now Jake though that Tony could buy him anything he wanted.

"Look, get a paper route or something and save the money. I'll match whatever you save, deal?"

"Deal," Jake nodded. Tony started the car and ten minutes later they were parked outside Jake's new school. Jake climbed out the car.

"Hey!" Tony called to get Jake's attention before he walked off. "No calls."

Jake rolled his eyes, "No calls."

"Good," Jake slammed the door and began to walk off. Tony looked at his watch and winced, "Gibbs is going to kill me," He said to himself before starting the car and pulling out of the school.

Jake walked down the main hallway at school and found his locker. He put in the combination for the lock and the locker swung open. The first thing to go in was his jacket. He used to live on the streets; he could handle a little cold. He only put it on to please Tony.

"Who was the guy who dropped you off?" 

Jake shut the locker and was greeted by the sight of his new friend Josie. She was the only one who talked to him. Somehow people had found out about his former life on the streets and avoided him like he was diseased. Josie didn't care what other people thought.

"My legal guardian, why?" Jake asked as he pulled a couple of books from his locker and dropped them into his bag.

"He's cute."

Jake rolled his eyes, "He's like thirty five." The pair began to walk to their first class.

"I like older men," Josie explained with a shrug, "What does he do?"

"He's a federal agent," Jake answered.

"Cool!" Josie smiled, "Like with the gun and the badge? He FBI?"

Jake shook his head, "NCIS."

"What on earth is that?"

"It's a Navy thing."

"Oh," Josie wasn't that impressed.

"But he does have the gun and the badge." To his surprise, Jake found himself defending Tony's reputation. "He even saved my life once."

"Cool, what happened?" Jake began the story of how he met Tony as the pair entered English class.

Ten minutes after dropping Jake off, Tony pulled into his parking space at NCIS headquarters.

"You're late, DiNozzo, that's the third time this week." Gibbs said as Tony walked into the squad room.

"I'm sorry, Boss, we're still working on the morning thing," Tony explained.

"Work quicker, you're late again and you'll be doing everyone's paperwork for a week."

Tony grimaced at the reprimand, "Yes Boss."

"How's it going?" Gibbs asked, his tone softer.

"We're getting there," Tony answered, "School's more of a problem, he's in a class with kids three years younger than him and he's already got into a fight."

"He'll settle in," Gibbs assured.

"Before or after he's spent all my money?" Tony managed a smile, "He asked for a car this morning," Gibbs laughed, "We're going for burgers this evening, you should come, I was going to invite the rest of the team."

"I don't -" Gibbs hedged.

"They serve steak." Tony pressed.

Gibbs met DiNozzo's eyes. He'd been more than proud when Tony had stepped up to take the kid on. But being a parent was no easy job. Maybe he could help out a little. "I'll meet you there about 1900. Alright?" 

"Thanks, Boss," Tony gave him a brilliant smile, before moving over to his desk. "You'll hardly recognize Jake. He's done this thing with his hair."

"DiNozzo."

"Shutting up now, Boss."

That evening Tony picked up Jake from their apartment and drove them to the restaurant where they met up with the rest of the team.

"Nice place," McGee spoke up as he scanned the menu.

"Been here a couple of times," Tony said, "Do the best cheeseburgers in DC."

Ziva rolled her eyes, "You say that about every burger place in DC."

"Well it's true!" Tony replied. The team's conversation was interrupted when a leggy blonde waitress walked up to the table, pad and pencil at the ready. "Hi," Tony flashed a toothy smile at the waitress and she smiled back, "And who might you be?" he asked.

She pointed at her name badge, "Nina."

"Hi Nina, I'm Tony," Tony smiled again and this time she giggled. Ziva rolled her eyes again.

"Are you ready to order?"

"I think so," Tony opened his menu, "Yeah, I'll have the cheeseburger, large fries and a coke, Jake?"

"Same," Jake spoke up. One by one they ordered their meals and Tony gave the waitress one last flirty smile before she walked off towards the kitchen.

"Everything in a skirt," Ziva shook her head in disbelief

"What?" Tony asked innocently and the group laughed.

Tony finished his coffee and sat back into his chair feeling like he'd eaten an elephant.

"I'm stuffed."

"Me too," Abby lay her head on his shoulder with a sigh, "I don't think I'll need to eat for a week."

Tony snorted, "You'll be after another burger by tomorrow."

"True," Tony laughed

"We should be going," Gibbs downed the last of his coffee. Tony sat up and looked round, noticing for the first time that someone was missing. He scanned the large restaurant with no luck. Finally out of the corner of his eye he noticed a figure leaning against railings just outside the entrance. He chucked his wallet at Gibbs who caught it deftly. "Pay for me," He told Gibbs before pushing his chair back and walked towards the entrance.

"Wow," Abby's eyes widened, "He actually trusts you with his wallet?" She asked incredulously.

"Where's he going?" Ziva asked.

"To talk to Jake," Gibbs said knowingly as he pulled cash from Tony's wallet.

"Hey," Tony spoke quietly as he left the restaurant and joined Jake at the railings. He leant against the cold metal and turned his head towards the teenager. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Jake shook his head

"If it was nothing why would you be out here on your own?"

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"What my life would be like if Rick had never been killed."

"Oh," Tony pressed his lips together. He should have known he would screw this up. It wasn't like his own parents had been such great role models. But he'd kept to WWGD and he'd thought he was doing okay. Seems like he was wrong. "Look, if this isn't working out for you-"

"No! Its nothing like that."

"Then what?"

Jake shuffled his feet a little. He'd never felt like this before. Before he'd been on his own, homeless, drunk most of the time. No one had given him a second look. Except Tony. Now he had a cool place to live, people who cared about him. Even school wasn't so bad.

"I just .." He looked up, unaware of how much his eyes gave him away. "Thanks for the burger … and everything."

"Everything, huh?" Tony looped his arm around the kid's neck in a loose headlock and rubbed his knuckles across the top of his head, just like he did to McGee. As Jake laughed and tried not very hard to get away the rest of the team joined them in the sidewalk.

"Gibbs, help!" Jake laughed. "Arrest him or something."

Gibbs simply smiled.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Ziva never thought Gibbs would pass up a chance to slap Tony across the back of the head.

"Don't look at me," Gibbs smiled at Tony over the top of Jake's head. "Looks, to me like DiNozzo's doing fine on his own."


End file.
